Juneteenth

The Senate passed a bill making Juneteenth, celebrating the end of slavery, a national holiday.

They passed it by 'unanimous consent'--no one objecting.

At least the Senate, though they won't pass the voting rights bill presented  by Biden, to overturn all the bills in state legislatures to limit the right to vote--primarily by black and brown people.

At least the Senate had the sense not to block the June-teenth bill.

So, next year, June 19th will be a national holiday.

Alleluia! 

But much more is needed.

Much more.

Racial equality is one of the most pressing issues in our nation.

Our history is sorrowful and deplorable regarding slavery, discrimination, segregation and racial inequality.

Much more is needed.

Much more.

All people are created equal.

We must make what was created the truth.

 

I still have faith

I still have faith in our democracy.

You might ask why--given that a mad-man was president for four years, Q-anon is alive and well, and our most precious democratic symbol, the US Capitol, was stormed with hatred and death on January 6.

I still have faith because our democracy seems to have survived all that.

Sensible and patriotic people are in charge of the executive branch and rioters from 1/6 (I'm sure that will come to be a thing, like 9/11) are in jail and being prosecuted.

It's certainly not over.

But Biden is re-establishing our role in the world. Harris marched in a Pride parade. Legislation in pending to restore voting rights that state Republicans are trying to limit, to prepare our infrastructure and to do something, long over-due, to make our economy more equal.

It's certainly not done yet and the fear of more violence from the extreme right and white supremacists is still possible.

But I have faith in our democracy.

I long for the day I don't have to worry.

But I still have faith.

You should too.

That will help us all.

 

It's a good thing

 No air-conditioning for 4 nights--that's a good thing.

Bern gets congested from AC.

We'll need it a lot later.

And it's a good thing that the former President's Justice Department is being investigated for their subpoenas of phone and email information from the press and sitting members of Congress.

That could, on top of every thing else, really open up some room to fully evaluated the illegal stuff of the previous administration.

The former President (who I will not name here--just as Stephen Colbert doesn't on his late night show) is now thigh deep in wrong-doing where he used to be knee deep.

Nothing could please me, or Joe Biden, more than to see him sent off to prison.

That (at last) might make the maga and lie-believers face the truth.

Which they must if our Democracy is to move on and thrive.

And I also hope for a couple of more cooler days....

 

I can't do anything

I can't do much of anything.

I tore off the bottom part of a railing that goes down our back steps. I tried to fix it with masking tape. It didn't work. Bern fixed it with a screw, I think.

I can't clean the house up to Bern's standards, so she does.

I can't do yard work up to Bern's standards, so she does it all.

I can take out the trash and recycling and do washing.

Nothing much more.

I feel guilty of my incompetence, though I shouldn't. Bern's standards are just higher than mine.

She is just so much more adroit than I am, it embarrasses me.

She even walks the dog better than I do.

I should look at it this way--I'm lucky to be married to her.

And lucky to do as little as I do.

I can preach and do communion and baptize and marry and bury--and she can't.

At least, at that I'm better.

But I love her so.

For 50 years she's been making my life easy.

What a blessing.

 

 

The third meal

 I put Brigit's dinner down before I went to the grocery.

I called upstairs, "Brigit, dinner" and then "I'm going to the store".

Bern heard the second call, but not the first.

She came down after our dog had eaten her dinner and was ready to go out.

But she thought Brigit wanted food and thought I hadn't fed her.

So she fed her again.

Brigit was glad to eat a third meal before her walk.

What a lucky dog she is.

We love her so.

But she doesn't need a third meal in a day!

 

I don't know what I'm going to write

Sometimes (like tonight) I sign on to my blog with nothing certain to write.

I don't know what I'm going to write.

But it will be something.

The weather is wondrous.

No air conditioners for two days.

Sitting out on the deck, reading, with short sleeve shirts.

How good can it get?

In July, I start as Priest-in-charge at Trinity, Milton, which is part of Litchfield, 30 miles from my home.

My last 'cure'--figure out what that means???--was with three churches, only one of which was 30 miles away.

It's a great congregation that  I'm getting to know. I think I'll love it.

A quarter time job in the church means 10 hours a week. Since the trip takes me an hour round trip and the hours include sermon prep. I'll only work on Sunday and one day a week, doing God knows what.

Biden is at the G-7--the seven most wealthy countries. I think I can name them: the U.S., France, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan.

Those leaders agree with our President more than the Republicans in Congress do.

Voter suppression is not an issue in the G-7--except here!

Attorney General Garland today announced the Justice Department will be expanding the group that deals with voting.

Lord help us!

The Maga folks don't want people of color to vote.

What a travesty.

Well, I didn't have anything to write after all....

  

I've been pondering...

 ..."Eternity".

And it's a waste of time, so far as I can ponder.

I have no idea whatsoever what 'eternity' could be like.

And I'm not sure I would want to have an idea.

I know the brand of religion I practice has some inkling that somehow we will spend 'eternity' in the Light or in Fire.

I don't know what I believe about that.

"Ends" are a part of my reality.

"End-less-ness" is beyond my ken.

Spring ends.

Each day ends.

Dinner ends.

Sleep ends.

Experiences end.

Life ends.

I'm never any help when people ask me, as a priest, 'what happens when we die?'

I have no clue.

I leave all that up to God.

I'm concerned about living.

Let the Almighty handle dying.

Eternity is far out of my ball park.

I guess I'll just wait and see....